Future
by professionaldooropener
Summary: The sky was a bleak gray color, clouds filled with rain covering every inch of visible sky. The girls face was streaked with tears, but those too were stolen by the wind, whisked away never to be felt by anyone again. ItaSaku oneshot


**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto… but I wish I could TT-TT**

Future

The wind whipped across her face, blowing her hair to and fro, a pink sheet moving to the winds cruel impossible patterns. The sky was a bleak gray color, clouds filled with rain covering every inch of visible sky. The girls face was streaked with tears, but those too were stolen by the wind, whisked away never to be felt by anyone again.

The girl was staring down at what had been her village, it was now blackened lumber and burnt brick. How could this have happened? Even the once strong and powerful faces of past Hokages were now twisted and mutilated looking, just lumps of rock hanging of a mountain.

Dropping to her knees she cried for her village. Where had everyone gone, Shikamaru, Neji, Hinata, Kiba, Choji, Ino, Tenten, Lee, Shino, Naruto. The last one was the most painful, if her one remaining teammate was gone, all her friends. Just like Sasuke, gone into the wind.

"I am fortunes fool!" She wailed at the sky.

This girl, would never find out what happened to her village, this girl would never find her friends. She moved to Suna, she stayed with the Kazekage and his family for a while, then moved to a place of her own. She worked at the hospital there, and kept a low profile. She was depressed, she would cry herself to sleep at night, wandering if anyone she loved was still alive.

Every year on the anniversary of the day she found her village in ruins, she dressed in a long black veil and wound her way back to the village hidden in the leaves. Standing where the once proud Hokage faces were mounted on the mountain she stared at the slowly decaying ruins. Tears streamed down her face and the wind stole them away down onto her life before.

Every year it was the same, the sun never shone on her on this day, she had her doubts that it ever shone on this ruined village. The wind billowed out the veil, whipping it through the wind, and she cried.

Every year she also felt his presence. Standing far enough behind her so that she couldn't see him, but close enough to be sensed, she knew he must be mourning too. But every time she turned away, he was gone.

After 5 years of this she felt his presence closer to her than ever, she turned and saw him standing behind her, and the pain renewed. Gasping for breath as pain filled her she cried. She fell into him and he offered her the comfort she had been seeking.

He had never known her, she had only heard stories of him. But it didn't matter, he was someone from the life that had suddenly disappeared from her.

Every year after she fell into his arms and cried. They never exchanged words, they never even really looked at each other. Until one year he spoke. "You keep coming, why?"

She smiled at him, looking into his red sharingun eyes. "To mourn for my village… at first." For once she was glad that the veil covered most of her face, for she was blushing. "But now I come to see you."

It was strange, but she did come to see him, murderer or not, he was part of Konoha. Even after you left the village, you always wore the signature headband, even with the line slashed through it; it was still there, always a part of you. Always with you.

"Good." His reply startles her, but she smiles all the same. And then he is gone, but she knows he will be back, he always is.

He comes the next year, she cries in his arms, but this time there is something different. He stays, and she talks to him, she tells him of her life before, and she tells him of her life now. She cried when she talks of her friends, every time they are mentioned, an image of them flashes through her mind, and reopens the wound.

He doesn't like doing this to her… or at least that's what he said. He also said that the pain will maker her stronger in the end. She doesn't see how that could be possible, that this pain will ever make her anything but weak.

She returns from her visit to the Konoha ruins when Gaara the Kazekage approaches her. He looked worried, as he was no longer an antisocial bastard. "Sakura, we've found Naruto."

"Naruto?" She can't believe her ears. "I can't believe it." Then she blacked out into Gaara's expectant arms.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The world was black, but it seemed to be swaying. There were figures in front of her, moving. "Gaara?" she choked out, that was the last thing she remembered. "Naruto?" Suddenly she opened her eyes, everything was clearer now, there was Gaara smirking by the door. And a blond haired man with bright blue eyes dressed entirely in black.

"Sakura-chan!" he yelled out, surprising her by hugging her hard.

"Naruto." Tears welled in her eyes and leaked out onto Naruto's shirt. "Naruto!" She cried in pain throwing her arms around him, her body shaking, letting out all of the pain. Her tears were staining his shirt, but she could feel his staining hers.

Was this… a dream? No, Naruto was real, he had to be, she couldn't go through the pain of losing him again.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Life was different now. Naruto lived with her in her house, and he told her of what happened to the once glorious city of Konoha. "They were rouge ninja, from the Rock country, very powerful.

"They had a demon on their side, the 7 tail. Many brave ninja died. Including everyone from the Hyuuga clan, even Neji and Hinata." At this Sakura couldn't help but cry. All of her friends…

"All civilians were massacred. So many people Sakura," he was shaking. "Even Kaka-sensei, he's the only reason I am alive. He told me to lead the remaining ninja to the secret passage through the Hokage heads. Tsunade-obaasan and Shizune-nee, they were killed too." He was crying now, reliving the nightmare that had haunted him for years.

"Only a handful survived, Kiba, Tenten, Shikamaru, and I, from the rookie 9 that is. They killed most of our ANBU. They were so strong Sakura, they even got Jiraiya before he could release the seal on the 9 tail. If he had been able to, we might have had a chance."

But we got away and spread out. None of us dared to come to Sand, but if we had, we'd have found you. Sakura we all wondered what had happened to you. But you were gone, I looked for you! But I never came here… until now." Tears leaked from his eyes more frequently.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan, I'm so sorry."

Sakura stared straight ahead, tears sliding from her green eyes. "Naruto, I never looked. I never looked for you or for anyone. You had all died in my mind. Every year I would go to Konoha, waiting for someone, but you would never come.

"I-I should have tried harder you know. Maybe if I had, we wouldn't have to go through all this pain. Losing you was harder than Sasuke. We didn't even know Sasuke that long, we were only teamed with him for a little over a year. But Naruto we were together long after that. We had Sai with us, we went through everything together."

Naruto simply took Sakura into his arms. And they cried together, for what they had lost, for every bit of pain that had been caused.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

A year quickly passed. Sakura donned the long black veil, and together with Naruto, they journeyed to the ruins hidden in the leaves. He stood there waiting, patient as always.

His eyes widened at the sight of the man by her side, as Naruto's eyes widened at the sight of him. "Itachi!" and immediately he slid into a fighting stance.

Itachi stared blankly at Sakura as she walked towards him. She hugged him gently around the middle, causing him to stare down at her pink, though covered in black head. "Don't hurt him Itachi." He looked away with a "Hn," on his part.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto gaped in disbelief at his friend hugging the S-class criminal so casually.

"I was alone a long time Naruto," Sakura stated sadly. "He was here, no one else was."

"But I'm here now."

"And he's still here." Her firm reply made his eyes widen in surprise, before the turned hurt. "Naruto, I'm not giving him up just because you came back. You are my friend, and I will always love you as such. But… maybe I love Itachi in a different way."

All three of them sat in a shocked silence, even Itachi couldn't believe his ears at that confession.

Naruto looked away, "I understand. You couldn't wait forever, I know, but-" his voice broke. Clenching his hands into fists he punched the ground. "Why him," it was whispered but it was heard clearly throughout the clearing. The only noise was the rustling of leaves on the trees as the wind blew silently through them.

"Gomenasi for everything, Naruto," Sakura looked at her friend sadly.

"I'll see you again, right?" Sakura could barely look at her friend, for once he looked like the same boy who stood alone outside of the academy by the swing, staring mournfully at everyone with their parents.

"Yes, you will." He smiled halfheartedly at her, before turning away. He ran off towards the trees, soon disappearing in the foliage. Sakura stared after him for a long while, until Itachi decided to break the silence.

"You would follow me, instead of him?"  
Smiling at him she replied, "I'm done following anyone. I'd like to walk astride if that's all right?"

"I can't guarantee anything, protection, or love."

"I realize that, but I can get you to try."

"Hn." He started walking away towards the trees.

She stared once more at the broken village, this would be the last time she would see it. Taking off the veil she let the wind carry it away, down into her past. All she needed now was her future.

Tearing her eyes away she ran towards him, catching up she fell into stride beside him. Looking up at his face she couldn't help but to smile, this was her future.

End.

**Aww I actually though that turned out kinda cute don't you agree? Anyways review!!**


End file.
